Boycott or not Boycott that is the question! What people think!
April 24th 2008 23:50
Boycott or not Boycott that is the question! What people think!
On the 24th of April, Australia has the pleasure and pride to welcome the Olympic flame in Canberra. After the explosive events occurring in Paris, London and the massive security that needs to be set up now in the countries where the torch will be, what can we expect here at home?
It isn’t new to see political issues rising at the Olympics Games. The old tradition from the ancient Greece where the first game started in Olympia, the city of Gods around 770BC has a long history of controversial and political outbursts. Already in around 400AC the games were forbidden as Christianity imposed itself in the area. It’s only much later in 1859 that the games reappeared... near Athens. French aristocrat, Pierre de Coubertin at the initiative of the IOC was looking for “a way to bring nations closer together, and to have the youth of the world compete in sports, rather than fight in war”. Despite Coubertin ideals of peace and togetherness 3 games were cancelled because of war, WW1 and WW2...
1956 in Melbourne, the Games were boycotted by some countries to protest against the repression in Hungary, and the Suez Crisis. Australian students hoaxed in protest to the Nazi origin of the Olympic torch... 1968, Mexico, two American black athletes made the Black Power Salute... they got sent home. 1972 summer Games, 11 Israeli athletes were kidnapped by terrorists and 9 died. 1980, during the famous and scary cold war 65 countries refused to compete in Moscow. In return, in 1984 the Soviet Union and 14 of its eastern partners didn’t come to the Los Angeles Games... 1996 in Atlanta a bombing killed 2 people and injured 111. 2004, Iranian athletes refused to compete against Israelis athletes an explosive issue at the Olympics where race, creed or colour are not allowed to interfere with sport...
Today in 2008 boycott has been called against the Chinese government in regards to the repression in Tibet. Political and social organisations around the world have called to boycott the Games via the opening ceremony or at worst by withdrawing their athletes... In general people believe that politics has no place in the event of the Olympics. Many athletes have worked hard for the competition and shouldn’t be used as hostages for political needs. As well pointed out by Sydney residents, if there was such a big concern with the Chinese government way of treating Tibet and it position regarding human rights, the games shouldn’t have take place in Beijing in the first place!
In Paris while protesters were disrupting the run of the torch through the city, no one was to be seeing in front of the Chinese embassy... not even before or after! Says a French local...
We can’t blame the Tibet government in exile to use the Olympics to get the media and world attention, it is understandable, but what about the millions, or could we say billions of Chinese who worked so hard and are so proud to host the Games for the first time in their country? And have mostly nothing to do with the government politics!
Despite everybody’s personal opinion on the Chinese government should we not forget the primary purpose of the Games... as the Oath says: “We swear. We will take part in the Olympic Games in a spirit of chivalry, for the honor of our country and for the glory of sport. “
On the 24th of April, Australia has the pleasure and pride to welcome the Olympic flame in Canberra. After the explosive events occurring in Paris, London and the massive security that needs to be set up now in the countries where the torch will be, what can we expect here at home?
It isn’t new to see political issues rising at the Olympics Games. The old tradition from the ancient Greece where the first game started in Olympia, the city of Gods around 770BC has a long history of controversial and political outbursts. Already in around 400AC the games were forbidden as Christianity imposed itself in the area. It’s only much later in 1859 that the games reappeared... near Athens. French aristocrat, Pierre de Coubertin at the initiative of the IOC was looking for “a way to bring nations closer together, and to have the youth of the world compete in sports, rather than fight in war”. Despite Coubertin ideals of peace and togetherness 3 games were cancelled because of war, WW1 and WW2...
In Paris while protesters were disrupting the run of the torch through the city, no one was to be seeing in front of the Chinese embassy... not even before or after! Says a French local...
We can’t blame the Tibet government in exile to use the Olympics to get the media and world attention, it is understandable, but what about the millions, or could we say billions of Chinese who worked so hard and are so proud to host the Games for the first time in their country? And have mostly nothing to do with the government politics!
Despite everybody’s personal opinion on the Chinese government should we not forget the primary purpose of the Games... as the Oath says: “We swear. We will take part in the Olympic Games in a spirit of chivalry, for the honor of our country and for the glory of sport. “
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